The New England Regional Carpenters Union protests United Bank's use of a drywall subcontractor on its headquarters renovation job in downtown Hartford. The union, says the subcontractor, Champagne Drywall Inc., of Agawam, Mass., also known as CDI, does not pay are standard wages and benefits to carpenters.

HARTFORD — A regional carpenters union staged a lunchtime demonstration Wednesday, protesting the hiring of a subcontractor on a downtown office renovation whom the union says does not pay area "standard" wages and benefits to its workers.

Two dozen members of the New England Regional Council of Carpenters, Local 43, carried signs and marched in front of Goodwin Square on Asylum Street where the subcontractor, Champagne Drywall Inc., of Agawam, Mass., has been hired by United Bank's general contractor to work on the renovations of its new headquarters.

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"This is about increasing the wages for the workers that are working for Champagne and raising the threshold … earning wages and benefits that are sufficient to support a family in Connecticut," Marc Okun, a business agent and organizer for the union, said. "This is about raising the standards of all carpenters. We want them to make as much as we do."

Okun said Wednesday's demonstration was not aimed at Champagne because it is not unionized. The union also was not trying to pressure the bank to use more unionized labor, Okun said.

United Bank declined comment Wednesday and Champagne did not return a call seeking comment.

United Bank expects to relocate its headquarters and administrative offices to Hartford from Glastonbury later this fall and bring 200 employees downtown.

Okun said members of the union earn $56-$57 an hour in wages and benefits. Without benefits, wages are $32 an hour, he said.

Champagne pays $22-$28 in wages but does not provide benefits to its workers, Okun said.

"One of the reasons why this is particularly hurtful to us is because our carpenters who live and work in this area, their retirement benefits go into investing companies like United Bank," Okun said. "As a matter of fact, pension funds from the carpenters union are invested with United Bank to the tune of 54,000 shares."

The union represents carpenters from Connecticut north to Maine.

Those marching formed a circle Wednesday in front of Goodwin Square. They chanted, "What do we want? Area standards! When do we want them? Now!" as they repeatedly filed by a large inflatable cat that appeared to be strangling a construction worker in a hard hat.